1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a hardware authenticity verification system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hardware authenticity verification system that (1) creates a digital signature of a hardware address of a hardware element, and (2) restricts the use of a manufacturer's device driver on a hardware element for which a user possesses a software program to compare the digital signature to a known value.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, when a computer system is turned on, an operating system performs several tasks to initialize the system. In some systems, such as packet switching devices or routers, initialization may be achieved with a BIOS (basic input/output system), firmware, or micro-code. One of the tasks that the operating system, BIOS, firmware, or micro-code performs is loading device drivers, which are typically software programs for adapters. Typically, a device driver is programmed to check a memory element, such as an EEPROM, only for corruption. The device driver generally does not require verification of a hardware element's authenticity (e.g., comparing a hardware element's hardware address with an address that is stored in the EEPROM) in order to load the device driver on the hardware element. The absence of authenticity verification provides an opportunity for a counterfeiter to successfully incorporate a non-authentic hardware element into the computer system or a network system without detection.
A counterfeiter may buy parts to build a hardware element from a gray-market vendor and, in fact, build an exact copy of the authentic hardware element. The counterfeiter may copy the entire contents of an authentic EEPROM image, for example, of the hardware element. The counterfeiter may change the hardware address of the hardware element to make it unique, and burn the new EEPROM image onto the counterfeit hardware element. This technique may allow all of the original manufacturer's device drivers to load on the counterfeit hardware element.
Believing that a counterfeit hardware element is authentic, a purchaser of the counterfeit hardware element may solicit the original manufacturer for support and/or demand replacement, thereby increasing the original manufacturer's support costs. The counterfeit hardware element is typically inferior in quality to an authentic hardware element, damaging the reputation of the original manufacturer. Because the original manufacturer's call center has no simple way of differentiating between an authentic hardware element and a counterfeit hardware element, the original manufacturer often replaces a defective hardware element at its expense, even if the defective hardware element is counterfeit.
Thus, a system that verifies the authenticity of a hardware element is required.